Burning Water
by phantomdare1
Summary: They have lost everything: their pride, their family, their old allies, but the fire still blazes on in a hopeless desert. The Vongola Family poses as Britannian students, waiting for their move. Adding Lelouch into the equation was a different story. AU
1. 00: When They Fall and When They Rise

**Burning Water- Prologue, When They Fall and When They Rise**

* * *

Britannia, the world power that dominates of our world in the year of 2018. After the fall of Japan's independence, Britannian stands as a dictatorship, and Japan's pride and honor is reduced to a single number, 11.

Many fell in the final breath of the war for sustaining freedom, many who were loved or hated. Still, the result was despair.

Fire can burn just about anything, if tampered with correctly. Oh yes, and Britannia took that to their advantage. Here in the once prominent city of Namimori comes great loss. A brown spiky-haired boy looked on from a distant mountain with nothing but tears. His parents, gone… His friends, abandoned just like him. This was not the ideal life of a ten year old boy. His best friend, a boy with silver hair, knelt beside the first boy.

"Juudaime…" He said. The brown-haired boy looked away. A tall man with a black fedora approached the two. He straightened his black tie that lay over his orange dress shirt, his curly sideburns bouncing as he took a stride. He had taken the two boys to safety, just when their parents were to be executed.

"Gokudera-kun…" the brown haired boy looked up with a determined face. "Will you follow me? Will you follow me to the ends of the earth to destroy the people who killed our parents?"

Gokudera gasped at his best friend's resolve. To think a young boy like him could say such things would be somewhat horrendous, but Gokudera knelt down on one knee.

"Yes, Juudaime," He said, the courage running to his lips. "I will follow you till I die."

* * *

On the other side of Japan, a scene just like this was taking place, but with different results.

"Old man!" A black haired boy with brown eyes was screaming as his father fell into a dead heap.

"Now… which one's next?" A Britannian soldier sneered at the crying boy. "How about you, little boy? I can make life less painful for you…"

The boy didn't move, and he stared at what his father held, a bamboo sword, the one he treasured very deeply. He took it, and he steadily rose up.

"I will not let you kill me." The boy was emitting a dark blue aura. "You will pay… for making my old man leave me!"

His mind went to auto-pilot and he took a stance.

"Shigure Souen Ryu, Shinotsuku Ame!"

The soldier's eyes widened immensely as he saw the boy's wild eyes blazing with fire. And that was the end of him.

* * *

"Kyoko, hurry!" the whispered voice of her brother urged a young Japanese girl with bright orange hair to follow. She ducked under a dilapidated window pane and crawled through the hollow steel beam after a white haired boy. Ten years old, and she didn't want to cry just yet. If she was told to live, she will live.

"Ryohei…" Her brother turned to her at the slightest whimper she uttered.

Then a shuffle of thundering footsteps came their way, and Ryohei was near panic-mode. He then lunged back, shoving Kyoko all the way through the steel beam.

"Hurry and slide through the chute!" Ryohei hissed sharply. "Hurry!"

"But… onii-san…"

"Go!"

Ryohei climbed out immediately but immediately he saw black. Kyoko, on the other hand, saw red. The older sibling's body was etched with a bullet in his stomach, and the blood dripped rapidly from the wound. Ryohei gasped for air until another bullet pierced his lungs. He fell to his knees, and then the final bullet, to his head.

Kyoko watched in the shadows with devastated eyes, and she scurried to the chute her brother told her to go to. She slid down it like a playground slide, and she feel into a small lake of clean water, washing the dirt from her arms and legs. She remembered to swim to the banks and she sat on a stray rock nearby.

"Why… Onii-san… why?" She sobbed, and she held her hand to the sky.

"Wah!" A voice of a young boy startled Kyoko. She spun around to see a boy exactly her age face down on the floor.

"Juudaime!" A silver haired boy ran to the boy to help him up.

"I'm fine…" the boy smiled. Kyoko's eyes widened at whom she saw…

"Tsuna!" She ran and hugged him tightly. Tsuna, too, was surprised and was barely breathing from the death-grip she had on him.

"K-Kyoko?! What happened?!"

Strange enough, he was looking straight as his classmate from school…

"Tsuna… Onii-san… he's… gone…."

The tall man who accompanied the two boys looked onward. Another victim of Britannia's arrogance. To think that people like the Japanese were inferior… was sickening.

"But…" He said quietly. "We must not make haste… You, Tsuna… will grow stronger and take on the name of Vongola as you were destined to… and Gokudera, to follow Tsuna… and Kyoko, the same for Tsuna… Vongola will not fall."

They have lost everything: their pride, their family, their old allies, but the fire still blazes on in a hopeless desert.


	2. 01: Before the Fire

**Burning Water- Chapter 1 – Before the Fire**

* * *

"Tsuna, hurry! You'll lose a second if you keep on at that pace!"

Tsuna was running hard, his face dripping with sweat, as he dashed past the finish line on the track. Taking a pleasantly icy water bottle from a worried Gokudera, he chugged it down in mere seconds as the gym teacher looked at the stopwatch.

"Not bad," She looked up with a small smile. "If you stay motivated, you'll get a lot faster. You beat your time by a few seconds."

"I got better just like that in a week," Tsuna smiled. "Thanks, Mrs. Lal Mirch."

The teacher brushed away the blue hair that was flying into her face when she noticed that several others were still on the track.

"Oi!!!" She called to a purple haired punk. "No slacking off, Skull!!"

"Juudaime…" Gokudera looked at Tsuna. "You okay? It's already a burden for you to take training from Uncle Reborn. You don't need to join the track team, too…"

"Well…" Tsuna thought for a moment, letting the calm breeze brush past his brown spiky hair. "I just thought that somehow I should learn to be able to keep on par with everyone else. I am boss, after all."

Gokudera smiled just when a boy with blue hair was shouting from the bleachers.

"Tsuna! Gokudera! Milly says she wants a meeting now!"

"Coming!" The two smiled. Tsuna walked to the lockers and thought for a moment. Out of all the people in the Vongola residence, only he, Gokudera, Lambo, Ipin, Uni, Mukuro, Chrome, and Hibari were able to attend Ashford Academy without prejudice on their shoulders. It irritated him that those like Kyoko and Yamamoto would be discriminate more easily as "Elevens." To call people by just a number, it sounded like slaves branded for service. Tsuna was one-eighth Italian, and he only got in the Academy because of Uncle Reborn and Aunt Bianchi's special way of pulling strings… it wasn't pleasant, either.

* * *

"You're here!" Milly flung her arms around Gokudera's neck, who "che'd" in response and tried to pry her off. Tsuna sweatdropped and noticed that Shirley and Rivel were sitting on the couch, waving to them in response. A pair of footsteps took his notice and he saw Lelouch, the vice president of the student council. Elsewhere in the room, Nunally and three other children her age were entering the room as well.

"Ger offn' me, crazy woman!" Gokudera struggled until Milly voluntarily let go, sending him crashing to the floor.

"Everyone here?" She looked, seeing Nunnally and her set of friends decided to be the guests of the meeting today.

"Afternoon, Milly," Uni and Ipin, two decent students in Nunnally's class, waved politely as Lambo gave a wide grin. Lelouch silently went to his place on the couch, a king chess piece in his hand. He looked at Tsuna. Lelouch then placed a hand on the shoulder opposite and let go. Tsuna understood and then raised an eyebrow in doubt as if saying, "Are you serious?"

Gokudera noticed the interaction with the corner of his eye. It was until then when he realized what Lelouch meant, and the silver haired teenager palmed his face in annoyance. Sheesh, and Lelouch will never learn when and when not to gamble and worse enough, asking others to come with him.

* * *

Because Reborn and Bianchi had pulled strings for Tsuna and Gokudera, they were allowed licenses to operate motorcycles of their own and drove home to their own estate.

The Vongola residence was a vast on, taking a great many acres, since half of it held the headquarters and research centers of the prestigious Vongola Corporations, the best Knightmare-designing company in the Britannian Empire. And who was boss? Tsuna. But he was far to young to take on the business openly. So Reborn played the puppet of the show, but the Tenth hid in the shadows to manipulate every single transaction and meeting without the ambassadors' noticing. He was a master at deception, like Reborn said, a trait of his ancestral history as the boss of the formerly most powerful mafia family within a span of two centuries.

They entered the grand iron gates of the estate, driving down a paved road of landscaped orchards, and an occasional sakura tree within them. The road spanned to a slow turn and to a massive mansion, a working fountain forming an arched pathway for drop-offs. Tsuna watched as a garage door opened and the two drove in quietly.

As they expected several people were waiting for them. Yamamoto, grinning as sheepishly as ever, was wearing his work clothes, a suit, but a somewhat untidy tie. Kyoko, a warm smile on her supposedly delicate face. Not many could tell what lies behind the act. Haru was waving furiously to Gokudera. The two boys screeched to a stop and dismounted the vehicles. They took off their helmets and laid them on the seat. A man with black spiky hair and curly sideburns accompanied by a pink haired woman, presumed to be his wife, approached Tsuna with a fatherly air.

"What a flashy entrance, for a kid like you," he joked and Tsuna smiled weakly. Reborn, caught the strange behavior and nodded. "I see, I will see you in the office, shortly."

"Tsuna!" Kyoko hugged Tsuna tightly. "How was school?"

"Brilliant, I guess…" Tsuna blushed. Kyoko was in grave danger if she stepped foot outside the residence. She was an pure "Eleven." Lately, she, Yamamoto, and Haru have been home-schooled by Bianchi and Reborn, and they didn't really get to interact with people other than those who lived in the residence. Mentally, Tsuna promised that he would someday find some way to make a world for Kyoko to live freely and not in a compromised cage.

"Haru was waiting for you all day!" Haru smiled brightly, and Gokudera smiled back. Then Haru then wore a look of concern. "Kallen had recently stopped by. She wanted to see you and Bianchi, but Ohgi didn't let her. It seems that they're going to launch another hit and run."

Gokudera nodded understandingly. Kallen Stadtfield, or Kouzuki, was his rebellious half-sister. He, Kallen and Naoto, and Bianchi, were born of the same father but of different mothers. It made him feel sick of the concept of polygamy, but he shook it off anyways. As much of a hothead she was, Kallen always came to Gokudera and Bianchi for comfort and advice, since she could not confront her real mother who worked as a maid in her home, and her brother, who was exiled from the mansion and was constantly with the Resistance. Looks like he'll be looking out for her again, the twentieth time? He palmed his face. Having younger sisters (Kallen was younger than him by a few months, which made his thoughts about polygamy more sickening) was a big pain.

* * *

"So Lelouch vi Britannia is going out to gamble again tomorrow…" Reborn rubbed his chin in thought as Tsuna watched with unnerving eyes. "That does it then. You and Gokudera should accompany him. It'll be good for you…"

"Hye?" Tsuna jumped. "You're asking me to do life-risking things…"

"I only said go with him, not do what he does," Reborn rolled his eyes. "I have a feeling that the Resistance Gokudera's half-siblings Kallen and Naoto will be intercepting you rather soon. To be safe, I'll let you two use the Cielo and the Tempesta case you get into a bad brawl."

"I understand," Tsuna nodded. "Now, how was the conference while I was at the gym running my feet off?"

"Using humor in serious dialogue," Reborn smirked. "Looks like my hellish training straightened you out really well."

"Yes, it has," Tsuna nodded. Reborn looked at the stack of papers he was yet to sign and for Tsuna to read.

"Nothing much really," Reborn said. "The emperor requested a repair service for one of his Knights of Round. The ambassador seemed scared out of his mind when I stared at him."

"You shouldn't stare at people like you're wary of them," Tsuna frowned. "It's surprising you were able to marry Bianchi in the first place."

"Sometimes a fierce face attracts those who like the dangerous ones," Reborn smiled. "You should try it sometimes. You're still too soft."

"Never mind that." Tsuna brushed off the comment. "I'll need another test run on the Cielo before I can use for actual operations. If you say I'll use it tomorrow, I need to practice now. I might get rusty."

"You?" Reborn chuckled. "An eighteen-year old like you shouldn't worry about being rusty. The time you should worry is when you turn my age."

"So…" Tsuna chose his words. "elaborate on why I should go with Lelouch to gamble again?"

"I see… you need research…" Reborn pulled out a stack of files. "I happened to get Giannini to download these files from the Britannian Empire's Science Division. They've been very naughty at the moment, and I hear they're performing experiments on humans as test subjects. Just one, actually. I suggest you read it before you set out tomorrow."

"Ah, thanks, Uncle Reborn," Tsuna bowed and he exited the room.

"And oh, I almost forgot," Reborn reached into the drawer of the desk and tossed a orange-white-winged-shaped key to Tsuna, who caught it easily with one hand. "You'll need it to run the Cielo, no?"

Tsuna nodded. But he stayed for a moment.

"Who was it who helped you get the information from the Science Division?"

"Oh, I'm sure you know who they are, Tsuna."

* * *

"Kufufufu… this is exciting…"

"Brother… Don't give our cover away…"

"Yeah, herbivore, you're trouble some enough."

Three people were standing in the hallways of the pristine white laboratories. Apparently, they were the ones assigned to set lights out today. Immediately, like mist, they faded away, and no one saw it.

They appeared once again in the balcony of the quarters Vongola estate. Their appearance changed as well. First was a blue haired boy whose hair was tied to a short ponytail, reminding many of a pineapple. The second was a purple haired girl with an eyepatch over her right eye, for she is the sister of the first boy. The second was a black haired boy. The siblings wore the uniform of Ashford Academy, while the other wore a suit. The door of the room opened behind them, and Tsuna stepped in, swinging the key he received from Reborn by the lanyard. The boy with blue hair chuckled, and Tsuna stopped and smirked.

"You sure took your time." The strange boy started.

"Well, what can you expect?" Tsuna smiled. "I needed to tell Uncle Reborn that Gokudera and I will be out gambling tomorrow. Wanna come?"

"Does this mean that I'm driving?" the black haired boy's narrow eyes showed discontent, and disapproval.

"I only asked, Hibari. Mukuro?"

"Kufufufu…" Mukuro smiled widely. "If the more the merrier, then I'll join you."

"Thank you, and you'll need to test the Nebbia. Uncle Reborn says that the Resistance might show up."

"Not a bad idea," Mukuro walked past Tsuna. "Come on, Chrome, and Hibari. We don't want to disturb my little brother here in his sleep."

"I'm not really your brother, got that?"

"Course not biologically," Mukuro smirked as the other two exited silently. "But we've been under the same roof for seven years. Surely that gives enough credit, does it?"

"I suppose so," Tsuna headed to the bathroom. "See you at the training room."

"As you wish."

* * *

Kallen was trying to be as silent as possible. Naoto was doing such a better job than her, too. Hmph, she should've taken the offer of extra training under Bianchi with Gokudera.

"How much longer?" She whispered.

"In about two minutes." Naoto smiled. "Looks like we can place a check in this game."

"I wonder about that…" _I've heard that Gokudera was going to be in the city tomorrow. I hope he won't get into this. He knows far too much about us…_

"Kallen, you paying attention?"

"Sorry…"

The pink haired girl followed her brother to ambush to guards with a swift take down. They were knocked out immediately, and Naoto handed her a jacket that belonged to the guard he subdued.

"Take this one," He gave a caring look. "It's much cleaner."

"Th-Thanks, brother…" Her blue eyes beamed as she took it.

* * *

Lelouch was staring at a smirking Rivel.

"Nobility, eh?" Rivel fingered one of the papers he needed to sign as a Secretary. "Sounds pretty ritzy… and risky, for the likes of you."

"Hey, it should be more exciting," Lelouch smiled evilly. "Maybe next time, I'll try the mafia."

"I won't be so sure about that, Lelouch," Rivel frowned. "You've already seen how brilliant Tsuna is. How can you possibly top that?"

A year had passed since the two boys learned of Tsuna's heritage and his secret. But only Lelouch knew of Tsuna's resolve that resonated with his own: to destroy Britannia. The two geniuses had been working together ever since.

"I didn't say I was going to play against Tsuna," Lelouch turned to the open window. "I meant lower families. Sure, they'll be easier, a lot easier, but it's still a challenge anyways. A hitman can be as deceptive and be a natural genius even at chess."

"Well, you're going against that baron tomorrow, so don't sweat it," Rivel waved a hand dismissively.

"What are you talking about, Rivel?" Lelouch smirked. "I never… ever 'sweat it.'"

"Cool as a cucumber…" Rivel added.

"You could say that again…" Lelouch stared at the clock. Ten o' clock. Ten hours before the game of his life will start. He just didn't know it.


	3. 02: The Day the Demon Was Born

**Burning Water – Chapter 2 – The Day the Demon was Born**

* * *

Hibari was rather annoyed at this point. Because he was the one with a license he drives the car. Why not Rivel? Sheesh, it gets annoying. Worse that he can't drive as well when everyone in the back are chattering away.

"See? Playing with nobility is quite fun, isn't it?" Rivel grinned. Lelouch nodded absently and was still toying with the black king chess piece he used back at the game. Still, it was far too easy…

"Yeah, Lelouch," Tsuna smiled. "It's quite amazing that you were able to get a good move in nine minutes."

"Juudaime," Gokudera answered back. "You could probably beat that time anyway…"

"Well, that coming from the genius mafia boss," Rivel joked, slapping Tsuna on the back. "That's pretty sweet! Right, Lelouch?"

"I suppose so…" Lelouch trailed off. Mukuro was busy looking at the scenery outside the car as it cruised down the highway. Today, they felt like missing out on Viceroy Clovis's annoying little moment of silence. Honestly, if he needed any pity, he'd probably be like a fish now with lots of water to swim in. It's not like the Britannians care for Elevens, or half-Elevens, even. Additionally, he couldn't help but notice that a Royal Guard's Car was driving right behind him.

"Well, were to next?" Mukuro turned away from the window and looked at everyone else.

"The casino." Rivel added. "Lelouch says he wants to battle it out with some Mafiosos!"

Tsuna raised an eyebrow. "Lelouch… isn't that a bit too much?"

Lelouch didn't even look up as he continued to examine the chess piece. "That was Rivel's suggestion, not mine."

"Well, anyways," Rivel asked. "Why did you move the king first?"

"If the king doesn't lead, how can he expect any of his subordinates to follow?"

"What's with that?" Rivel asked.

"With what?"

"Do you fantasize on leading a major corporation like Tsuna here?" Rivel pointed to the rather short brunette (well, Rivel and Tsuna are the same size and they're still kinda short).

"No way," Lelouch smiled weakly. "Ambitions like will ruin your health."

"Gee, thanks," Tsuna shot back flatly.

Suddenly the car jerked to the side, and everyone nearly fell over.

"Hibari! Too rough!" Gokudera shouted. He looked at Tsuna, whose hairs stood on end.

"Hibari!" Tsuna charged to the front of the car. "There's a car heading straight for us, it's not stopping!"

Mukuro turned around back to the window again and saw the Royal Guard's car was going out of control. He then noticed that several helicopters were on their way, their size only minuscule dots in the sky, to the car. Wait… isn't that a Royal Guard's car? Then why is the military after them?

"Whatever you say, herbivore," Hibari sighed as he pushed on the gas pedal and drove harder. Immediately, they watched the car behind them take an abrupt turn to a dead end exit. Hibari stomped on the brakes and his van/car screeched to a halting stop. All the boys ran out of the car to see the wreckage of the car crashing into the ghettos.

"Eh… was that our fault?" Tsuna asked.

"I don't think so," Hibari crossed his arms in annoyance.

Pedestrians who saw the crash ran to the side of the ramp and began to take pictures.

_ Idiots…_ Lelouch and Tsuna thought to themselves. Immediately, Lelouch started running to the car.

"Hey!" He shouted. "You okay?!"

"Lelouch!!" Tsuna shouted, and he followed after. Gokudera shouted for Tsuna and went along as well. Hibari, Rivel, and Mukuro looked on with bored expressions.

"Why now?" Rivel complained.

"But isn't it right for him?" Mukuro looked at the shorter boy. "To help others?"

"Yeah yeah I know that it's the right thing to do," Rivel shrugged. "But I wish the guy would quit flaunting his pride and just… give it a rest for a while!"

"Not again…" Hibari groaned in annoyance. Rivel gave exasperated sigh.

"We're going to be late for school!!!"

* * *

"Hello?" Lelouch called out. The driver was definitely injured, if he crashed like that. "Can you hear me? Hey!"

"Lelouch!!" Tsuna called after the first, Gokudera following closely.

"Guys!" Lelouch made his way to the door of the driver's seat, but found a large bar trapping the way. He then noticed a ladder, and he started to climb. "Come on! We need to help these people!"

Gokudera climbed up first, followed by Tsuna.

Lelouch then froze when he heard a girl's voice echo in his head.

_It's you… Finally I have found my…_

The voice faded and Lelouch was left fruitlessly looking around for the person who said those words.

"Oi!" Gokudera shouted. "Are you in there?!"

The Vongola Decimo then felt strictly uneasy when his grip tightened on the handle bars at the top of the ladder.

"G-guys….? Something's… really wrong here…"

Immediately the truck jerked backwards, and the three were sent spiraling into the open sunroof to the bottom of the truck's backroom. The truck immediately pulled up and went racing away from the construction.

* * *

"So… would you call that a hit and run?" Rivel questioned the other two boys. Without hesitation, Hibari raced to the back of his car, and lifted the back door. He immediately pulled out a red motorcycle. He then motioned for Rivel to come.

"Take your motorcycle back to school, herbivore." He sternly instructed the blue haired boy. "You have a license, so hurry up. We'll go look for the other three herbivores."

"Leave it all to us," Mukuro smiled ambiguously. Rivel nodded, and slipping his helmet and jamming his key to the circuit board, he whizzed away, leaving the two others amidst the crowding pedestrians.

* * *

"Bastards…" Gokudera groaned, massaging his head. Lelouch was up and going, but Tsuna pulled on his sleeve.

"Don't just go out and make a fuss." He forced the prince to sit back down in hiding. "We don't even know who these guys are. We'll have to wait."

"You'd think they'd stick a ladder inside, too…" Lelouch trailed off

//Stop right there! Surrender now when you have the chance to defend yourself in court! Stop! And surrender at once!//

They heard an array of machine guns, and felt the impact of the truck swerving to dodge the bullets.

//Give up now! Or we'll shoot to kill!//

More bullets resounded the almost empty room, and Tsuna fell back again and hit his head. A groan from the Decimo alerted Gokudera.

"Juudaime!" Gokudera shouted. "Damnit! How do we get out?! These guys are real terrorists!"

"If we jump out, we have the choice of breaking our necks or getting shot. You are nowhere near your Knightmare Frames. I can try to call-"

They then heard something about setting the "Glasgow" at the moment, but a pink haired girl emerged from the doors of the front room, taking off her top layer of clothing to show a more slimmer battlesuit.

"But that would mean a bloodbath!" She scolded the person up front, who agreed with her. Tsuna and Gokudera gasped.

"Kallen?!" The two whispered harshly, but the sounds of screeching metal and blasting guns drowned out their signs of shock. The pink haired girl climbed the ladder to the backroom behind this one, and was out of sight.

"Juudaime," Gokudera requested silently, holding up a cigarette and a handful of dynamite. "Can I blow up the side of this truck?"

"No," Lelouch and Tsuna said at once.

"My intuition tells me that a whole army load of Britannians are right outside this truck. We'll need to be more careful. Plus, Kallen is with that Glasgow. I don't think she'll stand a chance. We need to get out. Hibari and Mukuro are just about coming with the Knightmare Frames. Lelouch, any ideas?"

"Just one." Lelouch smiled, and the others could see a dark malicious hint on the edge of words.

//Target is moving from the settlement to the ghetto!//

//Copy that. Corner them.//

//Roger!//

* * *

Hibari and Mukuro headed into the van and began driving to their location, a battered warehouse. They immediately open the doors and walked in.

Two Knightmares stood, one indigo, and one purple. They immediately took out their respective keys and climbed into their Knightmares. Each of them took the key apparent in half, revealing a silver ring, one with an indigo gem for Mukuro, the other purple for Hibari.

"All right, then," Mukuro told Hibari in a sing-song voice.

"Let's go," Hibari smirked, and he lighted his ring, showing the Cloud's Dying Will Flame.

* * *

"Ow! Watch it, Lelouch!" Gokudera scowled.

"Sorry!" Lelouch shot back, and he looked at his cell phone. "Tch. No reception."

"We must be out of range, and underground," Tsuna commented.

"In the subway lines," Lelouch concluded. "They must be looking for an exit in the ghettos. Getting out would be dangerous."

* * *

Naoto was bleeding heavily, and he could no longer control the truck when it fell into a hole in the subway lines.

"Please… Ohgi…" He gasped. "Find me…"

He flicked the switch on the dashboard and lost consciousness as it fell.

* * *

The truck jolted a few more times, and this time, Tsuna really did hit his head so hard that he knocked himself out. Gokudera noticed and gasped.

"Juudaime!"

"Ugh… an accident?" Lelouch asked. "Or maybe-"

The doors slid open, and the two dragged Tsuna out of the light quickly, but not fast enough to make a soldier notice a moving foot.

//404 has sighted the target. Prepare for recovery.//

"Now… we can use this to climb up." Lelouch explained, but Gokudera gasped and turned around to block a spinning kick from a certain Britannian soldier.

"Eat this!" Gokudera shouted and he tossed a dynamite that happened to light up by itself at the soldier, but the soldier dodged and kicked him in the stomach. Gokudera swore that he could hear the soldier say "These bombs…" as if he knew whom they belonged to. The silver haired bomber clutched his stomach and groaned.

"Gokudera!" Lelouch shouted, but the soldier and hitam didn't listen.

Taking Gokudera by the scruff of the neck, the soldier pulled him up.

"That's enough mindless murder, terrorist!" the soldier unclasped part of his helmet.

"No!" Lelouch pleaded. "We're not-"

"Planning to use poison gas?" the soldier asked, tightening his grip on Gokudera, who began to gasp for air. Tsuna, still unconscious, lay at Lelouch's feet. The soldier wondered why. "Hell, you've even captured students?"

"NO!"

"Don't get dumb with me!" the soldier demanded but was caught of surprise when a blast of red light shot past his ear. He let go off Gokudera, who fell to the floor, his left arm wearing a red bow with red flames on the quiver.

"Gokudera!" Lelouch shouted.

"We're not here by choice…" Gokudera explained. "And this capsule has poison gas, then it was made in Britannia, wasn't it?"

The soldier then looked at the three faces at a closer glance and gasped in surprise.

"Mindless murder?" Lelouch said as he and Gokudera stepped into the light. Gokudera's bow had faded away in a burst of flames and returned to his pocket. "Then why don't you just obliterate Britannia!?"

"Lelouch… Gokudera…"

The two other boys gasped as the soldier took off his helmet, revealing brown messy hair and olive green eyes.

"It's me… Suzaku…"

"Suzaku?" Gokudera was shocked, but Lelouch was far beyond words…

"It's the real deal…"

"You became a Britannian soldier?" Lelouch asked.

"Yeah… what about you?"

"What are you sayin-"

"Hey!" Gokudera shouted. "We need to tend to Juudaime! He's out cold!"

Suzaku looked at the knocked out boy. "T-Tsuna?!"

"Of course it's Juudaime! Who else?!" Gokudera scowled. Suzaku then chuckled.

"Hmph, Gokudera, you're as grumpy as ever." Suzaku jokingly crossed his arms, aggravating the silver haired bomber even more.

"Whatever! I-"

The capsule opened, and Suzaku immediately pulled all three of them out, covering Lelouch's mouth with his hand, prompting Gokudera to cover Tsuna's mouth and his own. They watched as yellow light filled the area, and they realized nothing was wrong, really.

"Ah…" Gokudera gasped. A figure of a young girl, restrained by black strips of leather, was in the capsule. And most strangely, her hair was green.

"That's not poison gas…" Suzaku trailed off. The girl opened her eyes and saw the four boys, her golden eyes closing once again and then she promptly collapsed from sitting position and off the capsule's platform. Gokudera and Suzaku hastily rushed to the girl and dragged her out of the truck and onto the ground.

* * *

"Honestly, poison gas?" Lelouch angrily said. "And this girl instead?"

"Hey," Suzaku shot back. "They told us it was poison gas, and-"

The spotlight shined on Suzaku's back, and he turned around, and saw an army full of soldiers staring right back at them. Gokudera was beyond words.

"Stinking monkey!!" the commander of the soldier group yelled. "Being an honorary Britannian doesn't excuse you!"

"Uh, I'm sorry!!" Suzaku got up and began to run to the commander. "But sir, I was told this was poison gas-"

"How dare you question orders?!" the commander hollered. Gokudera and Suzaku gasped.

_This is bad…_ Lelouch thought to himself. _This situation…. Tsuna knocked out… Gokudera won't do any good…_

"However," the commander softened. "In light of you outstanding military achievements, I'm going to be lenient."

He gave the brown haired soldier a gun. "Private Kuruugi, take this and execute the terrorists."

All three boys gasped, still in this sticky situation.

"But he's no terrorist," Suzaku tried to reason. "He's a civilian who got caught up in all this."

"You imbecile subordinate!" the commander was enraged. "That's an order! Didn't you swear you loyalty to Britannia?!"

"Yes, but…"

"Bastards…" Gokudera swore under his breath.

"But… I can't…" Suzaku's words shocked everyone.

"What?" the impending rage was building up in the commander.

"I won't do it, sir," Suzaku frowned. "I won't shoot a civilian. I can't follow your orders, sir."

"Very well." The gun's click from behind surprised Suzaku.

Bang!

"Suzaku!!" Gokudera and Lelouch gasped.

The wounded soldier fell to his knees and his entire body was on the floor.

"Well, Britannian schoolboys," the commander smirked. "Not a good day to cut class. Collect the girl, Kill the three students."

"Yes, my lord," the other soldiers robotically answered.

The truck exploded behind them, and the entire room was filled with smoke.

* * *

"They got away?! And you call yourselves the Royal Guard?!"

//Forgive me, my lord. The blast was directed mainly upwards but-//

"Why the hell do you I only told you people about this?!"

//We'll continue the investigation.//

"The plan is moved forward to the next phase," Clovis trailed on.

"But your highness!" a commander resisted.

"If knowledge of her gets out, I'll be disinherited. Tell them back home we're carrying a plan in urban renewal here. As Prince Clovis Third prince of Britannia, I command you, destroy Shinjuku ghetto. Leave no one alive!"

"Nice words… Brother…" a white haired young man smiled gleefully. He was clothed decoratively as Clovis himself.

"Thank you, Prince Byakuran," Clovis smiled.

Byakuran turned to his subordinates. "Oh, please do kill them."

"Yes, my lords!" Everyone in the room shouted.

* * *

"What the hell are you!?" Lelouch had taken the liberty of carrying the green haired girl to a safer location. Gokudera, carrying Tsuna, followed closely behind.

"This chaos is all your fault, isn't it?!" Lelouch looked at the girl, who didn't speak.

"Not only that," Gokudera continued, venom dripping his words. "Not only that… but Britannia has killed Suzaku, too."

* * *

"Where do you think they could be, Hibari?" Mukuro asked.

"Don't know," Hibari growled. "Keep searching."

"Okay~"

* * *

"Stay quiet." Lelouch ordered the girl, who didn't move or speak. Gokudera nodded and propped Tsuna against the wall. Lelouch crawled up the stairs.

More gunfire ensued, and several soldiers stood in the opening.

"Report," the head of the group asked, the same one that killed Suzaku.

"Only Elevens here, sir," one said.

"Ugh… you're sure of it, that exit only comes here."

"Yes, sir, and it matches our map with the map of the old city.

Lelouch heard the voice of crying girl, then more gunfire, and the crying stopped. He shut his eyes hard to stop crying, but then his cell phone began to ring. The soldiers took notice of that.

* * *

"Huh?" Shirley looked at the phone. She tried to call Lelouch, but…

"Ugh!! That jerky hang up on me!"

Uni and Lambo sweatdropped. "Well… calm down… Shirley…"

"How can I not be?! He's late!"

Uni then gave a gasp of shock. Lambo looked worriedly at her.

"Uni… you all right?"

Her blank stare said no. and Lambo began to shake her furiously.

"Uni! Uni!! You're not here right now! Uni!"

"Uni!" Shirley shouted. "Quick! To the nurse's office!"

* * *

Lelouch, Gokudera, and Tsuna were promptly tossed against a wall. The green haired girl was held back by two guns.

"What an appropriate location for terrorists to meet their end," the head teased them.

"Bastards…" Gokudera growled, about to take out his "make-shift" bow and kill them all.

"Still you did well for a student, but that's to be expected," the captain continued. "You're a Britannian. Unfortunately, my clever young friends, you have no future."

"You-" Gokudera nearly burst. Tsuna heard nothing, for he still was knocked out.

"He mustn't die!" the green haired girl broke out of the soldiers' hold on her and took the three bullets aimed for them. One hit her head, another in her abdomen, and the third at her waist. Lelouch and Gokudera noticed a strange bird symbol on her forehead. The captain saw this as well.

"You shot her!" Lelouch shouted back.

"Our orders were to bring her back alive, if possible," the captain explained. "Oh well, nothing can be done about it now. We'll our superiors the Royal Guard found the terrorists hideout and killed them all, regrettably the female hostage was even tortured to death What do you think, schoolboy?"

"How can this be happening?" Lelouch's arm twitched. Gokudera was quite surprised. He had never seen Lelouch this angry before.

"Lelouch…"

_First… Suzaku's killed_ Lelouch twitched uncontrollably. _And now, this girl… now I'm about to die… Before I had a single chance to do a single thing with my life… it's gone in a heartbeat… Nunally!_

The girl's hand touched his, and he gasped in shock. His state of mind was tossed into a strange cybernetic world.

"You don't want it to end here, do you?" the girl's voice echoed once again in his head. "You appear to have a reason for living."

_That girl,_ Gokudera, Tsuna, and Lelouch's voice, joined by the voice of another girl said in unison. _That's impossible!_

"If I grant you power, could you go on?"

The many faces of the same girl stamped in his mine billions of times. And then changed to two planets meeting at a tangent.

"I propose a deal," the girl continued. "In exchange for this power, you must agree to make my one wish come true. Accept this contract, and you accept its conditions. While living in the world of humans, you live as one unlike any other. A different Providence… a different time… a different life."

Lelouch was floating in nothingness again. He saw more flashes of pictures.

"The power of the kings will condemn you to a life of solitude. Are you prepared for this?"

He then saw the shadow of an elderly king.

"A convergence," the king bellowed. "With the fellow connections… so the myth is beginning once again?"

Lelouch recognized this man.

"Then yes!" Lelouch shouted with his voice, his voice alone. "I hereby accept the terms of your contract!"

The girl's body continued to bleed, and Lelouch got up to his feet. Gokudera was staring into open space, his eyes wide with what his mind just saw. Tsuna, still unconscious, moved his hand on instinct to Gokudera's. Gokudera looked at Tsuna in shock.

"Juudaime…" he whispered.

"My pocket…" Tsuna said quietly, as if he were still dreaming. "My gloves…"

"Say…" Lelouch addressed the captain. "How should Britannians who detest their own country live their lives?"

"Are you some kind of radical?" The captain clicked his gun into place. He then gasped as Lelouch took his pose, covering his left eye.

"What's wrong?" Lelouch challenged the captain. "Why not shoot? You're opponent is just a schoolboy, or have you finally realized… that the only ones that should prepare to kill are the ones who are prepared to be killed?"

He showed his left eye to them all, his eye bursting with the insignia of the same symbol from the girl's forehead.

"What's happening here?" the captain began to back away. Gokudera gasped, and placed Tsuna's white mittens in his boss's hands.

"I, Lelouch vi Britannia commands you," Lelouch raised his left arm before him and swung it to his side. "Now, all of you… Die!"

Obediently, the captain began to laugh maniacally. Gokudera gasped at the show.

"Happily, your Highness!" the captain pointed a gun to his neck, as did the others. "Fire!"

The scene before the "three schoolboys" was blood, blood, and more blood. Lelouch snapped out of his strange behavior and gasped at the scene.

That was the day of the turning point. Since that day, he had lived a lie, the lie of living. His name, too, was a lie, his personal history, a lie… Nothing… but lies… He and the Tenth Generation were sick to death on how the world had changed, but even in his, and their lies, they refuse to give up in despair, but now, he has been given this incredible power. It's his.

"Well, then," Lelouch smiled evilly. Gokudera then smirked in response.


End file.
